Inside Eamonn Holmes' bitter battle as star lost house before Ruth Langsford split
ok.co.ukEamonn Holmes has opened up about the intense strain he faced during a lengthy five-year battle with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which he says contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to Ruth Langsford.The 64 year old TV icon was forced to sell his beloved Belfast home to cover a massive £250,000 tax bill, on top of what is believed to be a substantial amount in legal costs.
Despite Eamonn's argument that he worked as a freelancer for ITV, a 2020 tribunal determined he was an employee, leading to a demand from tax authorities for backdated national insurance and income tax payments spanning several years.
In a heartfelt interview with The Irish Times, Eamonn described the experience as "the most stressful outside of losing my father" and said: "I had a house here [Belfast] until six weeks ago when I was forced to sell it by the Inland Revenue [HMRC].
It's something I'm very bitter about because people think you earn lots of money and therefore you have to pay. It's like they have taken away everything I ever worked for." He also highlighted the broader impact of such tax disputes, adding: "People think it's only the Eamonn Holmeses of this world that they're after.
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